More Than a Memory
by petnurser
Summary: An AU reunion story. All I can really write is angst and fluff.... you have been warned.....
1. Chapter 1

Title: More than a memory

AN: Never owned 'em, never will

Genre: Angst/romance/reunion. With about a month to go before Series 4 airs, serious plot bunnies shouldn't bite this hard, but they did. I am listing this as AU.

Rating: Teen, nothing too graphic planned. I will change it if need be.

Other: This isn't tied in with anything else I have written but it could be in the future.

He was alone, again. He had been for a while.

Martha had left. She passed her exams and he placed a well-deserved call to UNIT.

Jack had left. The responsibility to his team was stronger than his love of traveling and the Doctor. He belonged there, in Cardiff, with Torchwood.

The Doctor was alone. Truth be told, something in him felt alone the moment that Rose lost her grip on that lever. That day, almost three years ago in linear time, tore out his hearts. There was a little nag in the back of his mind, his conscience he supposed, that said that the loss of Gallifrey should have hurt more, but his hearts didn't believe it. Losing Rose was definitely the most painful event of his life.

With his frankly magnificent time ship safely in the vortex he roamed the TARDIS for a while trying to lose himself in the corridors. He kept ending up at the door to the study. _Well, those transdimentional calculations are not going to work themselves. _He thought as he walked into the room. This used to be one of his favourite rooms. The dark wood panels, the deep rich carpeting, the way he would find her here after a trying day of running. The study was peaceful and calm; the perfect room to relax and unwind. A deep inhalation and he could still smell her perfume. He wasn't sure if there were some minute traces left or the scent was in his memories, but it was there and he smelled it. He looked over at the large padded chair in the corner opposite the door and swore he saw her there, legs draped over the arm, waiting for the polish to dry, intent on reading the life story of some celebrity from Praxataurious V. That day would be etched in his hearts for as long as he lived and he smiled at the memory. He blinked and she was gone, his hearts felt the familiar loss and fought the tears that were sure to eventually come. Too many memories lived in this room.

Calculations. They wouldn't get done on their own. He walked the few steps to the large mahogany desk that Rose and he….. By Rassilon, what good would that memory do now except to remind him of how much he missed her soft flesh against his hard angles. How much he missed _her_. 

He walked the few steps over to the desk and sat in the large desk chair. It was then that he saw it. A small volume covered in rich leather and stamped in gold _The Poems and Songs of Robert Burns_. The book itself brought a pleasant memory; the Doctor had borrowed the book from the Torchwood Estate library when he and Rose were there in 1879. He had pocketed the book intending on reading it that night while the house slept. Things went pear-shaped and he forgot the book until they got back to the TARDIS. Knowing that it would be dangerous to return it, he kept it, occasionally reading some poetry aloud to his love.

As he passed his finger along the leather spine, the Doctor knew what his intelligent ship wanted him to read something specific. He said out loud to what many would have assumed was the air, "Why are you torturing me? She's gone. I know it. You know it. Don't do this, girl." The anguish in his voice was clear.

All he felt was the gentle nudge in the back of his mind that urged him to open the book in front of him. He opened it to the proper page and read:

_O my luve's like a red, red rose.  
That's newly sprung in June;  
O my luve's like a melodie  
That's sweetly play'd in tune._

_As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,  
So deep in luve am I;  
And I will love thee still, my Dear,  
Till a'the seas gang dry._

_Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,  
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:  
I will luve thee still, my Dear,  
While the sands o'life shall run._

_And fare thee weel my only Luve!  
And fare thee weel a while!  
And I will come again, my Luve,  
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!_

"Tho' it were ten thousand mile!" He repeated. Ten thousand miles, one mile, as close as a chip to vinegar. She was all of these, yet so far away he couldn't get to her. The tears started to flow now. He hated crying. He was supposed to be in control. All those years at the Academy learning control and it all goes with memories of one Human woman. The Human woman he still loved with both his hearts.

Maybe he simply needed some sleep. It had been a while. Every time he tried, the dreams would come. Daleks, cybermen, slippery levers and loss; that's what his dreams were now, full of pain. He couldn't handle it so he found things to do to stay awake. He fixed and tinkered. All he needed to do was one last connection on the chameleon circuit and it would work again, the clothes washer no longer ate socks or underwear, the chilling unit in the kitchen no longer flash froze the milk. In short, everything now worked the way it should. Except him. He was broken and he knew it.

A presence interrupted his brooding. The TARDIS was trying to tell him something, but what? A few bars of "Moonlight Serenade" ran through his head and he finally understood. Jack. He needed to go see Jack. The Doctor's mind started to go into manic mode. He should call first. When is Jack now? Does all that stuff in the hub still work? He had a million and one questions all forcing their way in at once. It had to start with a phone call.

"Jack!"

"Doctor."

"How are things in Cardiff?"

"Fine. Thanks for Martha, by the way."

"I didn't send her to you."

"No, UNIT did. And you sent UNIT to her."

"She deserved the chance."

"She was brilliant, Doc. Thanks to her, my team's back together."

"Glad to hear it. Brilliant team you have there, Jack. Simply brilliant."

"Is everything OK, you sound a bit distracted."

"Yeah. Um, Jack, does the rift manipulator you have still work?"

"I think so. Frankly, I haven't touched it since that time we dealt with Abaddon."

"Understandable, understandable. I'm coming in, Jack. I need to use that manipulator."

"What!"

"The manipulator, Jack. I need one and you have one. Be there soon." With that and not waiting on a reply from Jack, he ended the call and set course for Cardiff.

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" Your hand, Doctor…."

" I married her, Jack. Just before she was torn away from me. I married her."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We were happy for a time. And she's alive. So many died that day but she's alive and living the day-to-day life I couldn't give her. She's probably happy; she's probably moved on and forgotten me. Only, I can't forget her."

"You're sure she's OK? You're not."

"I have to be. The hope of her being happy makes me able to cope. Jack, I've been married, or bonded if you will, three times. I have lost them all. Childbirth, the Time War, Canary Wharf. Losing Rose hurt more than I ever thought possible, so much more than my first two wives. It's been almost three long years and I am coping."

"But are you moving on? Rose would have wanted you to move on, to live again, to love again."

"I know. But as long as there is a chance that I will see her again, I won't."

"Is there a chance?"

"Maybe. I might be able to manipulate the Cardiff Rift and cross the void using your manipulator. I have to try. There is a niggling feeling that there is someone else and the thought of Rose raising our child alone… I can't bear it and it has been eating away at me. She would tell me stories of her growing up. Beans on toast night after night, darkness because Jackie couldn't pay the light bill, blankets around the flat to keep warm, second hand gifts and satsumas for Christmas. I can't let that happen, I can't let our child grow up without. I know Pete's wealthy, but they are not his responsibility, they are mine. They are my family. I have a home, the education to teach him or her, the money. I don't tap into it often, but I have access to all of Gallefrey's off world wealth if I need it. I love her, Jack."

"Whoa, stop right there, Doctor. Rose was pregnant?"

"I don't know for sure. She could have been. She would get very tired easily and she had gained a little weight; not a lot, but it was in the right places. I never said anything about it; you know how sensitive women can get about their weight. It might have been our life catching up with us, with her. I don't know. I'm supposed to be sterile. Most Time Lords were; the Curse of Pythia we called it. But, as you can figure out, my father wasn't and I'm not so sure that I am either. We did discuss it, the low likelihood of conception, the potential for genetic incompatibility, the difficulty she would have carrying a half Gallifreyan child to term. She just dived in. I think that we both wanted it to happen. There are those that feel that sex is the ultimate gift; giving one over so completely to another. Rose and I thought that sex was just one gift; a child was the most intimate thing one could give another. I think we may have given it, without the time to reveal it."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I had no idea."

"No one does, Jack. But you can see why getting her back is important, right? Martha and Donna are good friends, but they're not Rose. As wonderful as both of them are, they are not my wife."

"Martha was a great asset here. She patched me up a couple of times and even Owen likes her!"

"Donna has kept me alert. She snapped me out of a deep depression. She questioned me. She challenged me. Both Martha and Donna saved me in ways I can only begin to imagine. I could have fallen in love with either one of them for different reasons, Jack. If I exhaust every possibility to find Rose, find her and find she is happy or find out she is dead, I will take off my ring, mourn for her and allow myself the possibility to love again. Not before. Will you help me get to her?"

"What will you do if she's happy?"

"Sorry?"

"What will you do if Rose is happy? Will you let her live her life, where she wants to be or will you force her to come back."

"If she is happy, I will give her my ring and come back…. Alone. Will you help me, Jack?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The reviews and favoriting is truly humbling. Thank you. 

I can't imagine that I will ever own even a piece of Doctor Who. I just like to play with them. Please remember that time flows differently in Pete's Universe than in this one. Canon implies faster time flow; my story needs it slower. Sorry for any confusion that this may cause. 

Here is some background info to chapter 1.

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Rose groaned slightly while shifting her position in the bed. It was serious effort to move at all these days, but once she had managed it, she caressed her swollen abdomen. "C'mon little one, just one more day." She had slept poorly that night. Strange dreams kept plaguing her. 

One dream that had been recurring for the last few nights. The TARDIS was in some kind of underground bunker, perhaps an old abandoned tube station? Jack and the Doctor were working on some piece of machinery, banging and yelling at the machinery and each other. There was a pterodactyl flying overhead. Jack? Jack Harkness was dead; he died a hero's death on the Gamestation so long ago. The pterodactyl was just too weird, even for her!

A sharp kick in her abdomen woke her up fully. "Oh, little one, now that hurt." She chuckled slightly at the activity of this baby and wondered where he found the room. She certainly wasn't "bigger on the inside." That thought brought many memories to the surface. Memories of their all too short time together; memories of love and loss.

She was interested at the turn of the Earth, smitten by the end of the world and hopelessly gone by Dickens. She loved his large handsome features, his thick Northern accent and the way he would brood for hours over how to fix a circuit that hadn't worked or been needed for centuries. She cherished the times they spent together, just being. Long meanders through alien meadows, brilliant sunsets and more than one peaceful moonrise were just the preludes or codas to running or hopping for their lives. There was just one thing that was certain, neither was happy without the other. 

They first shared a bed after the death of Peter Tyler, the Pete Tyler of her first universe. He held her and he comforted her as she cried herself to sleep. He didn't blame her for what had happened and most of her grief was from what she saw as her betrayal of the Doctor rather than her father's death. He just held her and all seemed right with the universe when she awoke. Every night he would keep her nightmares away, and she his. They made love for the first time the night that Jack joined them on the TARDIS. She closed her eyes and could still feel his large, rough hands bringing her to the heights of pleasure all the while feeling like velvet on her skin and keeping her grounded despite her soaring with the love she had for him. 

Then it all changed. The Gamestation. Jack died facing Daleks. Her Doctor died to save her. Only, he didn't die. His familiar features gave way in a rush of flame only to reveal another man; longer, unruly hair, slimmer build and an accent that mirrored her own. She remembered wanting the Northern bloke back and this new man was telling her he was gone and couldn't come back. They plundered along for a short time, slightly awkward with each other, sleeping in separate beds, Rose not fully accepting the changes that had occurred. 

One morning she woke up, his arms holding her and then she knew. She knew that she loved him. Brown had replaced the blue. His hands were softer, not as callused and worn. But when she looked into his eyes and held his hand she knew he was the same man that she had fallen in love with and couldn't help but fall deeper in love than she had before. 

Together they faced the universe. Together they faced demons and monsters. It was on Praxataurious V that everything had changed again. The day had started out normally, well, normal for them, anyway. They were in the study. He was at the desk reading her some Burns poetry, she was lounging across the chair in the corner waiting for her nail polish to dry. Rose was flipping through an old magazine that she had found that had come from Praxataurious V, trying to read about some planetary celebrity. He looked up from his book and said, "Do you want to meet her?"

"OK! Let's go!."

They found a world in turmoil. When Rose and the Doctor arrived, the planet was in the throes of a huge epidemic. Thousands had died and millions were ill. The Praxataurian Grand Council had no idea what to do and where to turn for help. The Doctor managed to help them find a cure for the disease, a form of bacterial pneumonia that didn't affect Humans or Gallifreyans and get the population feeling better. They tried to pay the Doctor and Rose with money and jewels which were quickly but politely refused. Then the head of the Grand Council offered them one of their highest honours. 

She was a priestess for their most revered goddess. Praxalaria was the goddess of health and strength. Marriage in Her name was said to be one of highest ways to honor Her. The Grand Councilwoman offered to marry the alien couple. Although they had no future plans to marry, the Doctor turned to Rose and asked her then and there to marry him. Sensing the honor that was being offered them and knowing the depth of her own love for the Doctor, Rose Tyler readily agreed to become his bonded one, his wife.

That very afternoon, in front of what seemed to be half the planet, they stood before a sacred rock, said some sacred words and became one. They spent some time on their own in the vortex. It was during that time that the Doctor presented Rose with a set of rings that were once his mother's. The Doctor's mother had worn them while she was alive and once she had died, his father gave them to the Doctor. The Doctor felt that his father didn't want to be reminded of the good times they had had and the rings would remind him of that. The rings were now in Pete's home office safe because Rose's hands had swollen enough during the pregnancy to make the tings horribly tight. Rose gave the Doctor a silver ring that had been a gift from her mum that he immediately put on the middle finger of his right hand, traditional for his people.

Jackie was not pleased that they had married without her and on an alien planet to boot! But all was soon forgiven and Jackie told the couple about the ghosts.

Torchwood. She would remember that day forever. That was the day that they were torn apart. He managed to say goodbye. She was three months gone by then and couldn't tell him. Rose couldn't put him through the pain of knowing he wouldn't feel his son kick in her womb, wouldn't see his birth, wouldn't hear him speak his first words or walk his first steps or dance at his wedding.

Rose was ten months gone now and on medical leave from the Department of Alien Artifacts. The problem was that she had no idea how long her pregnancy would last, neither did her Torchwood doctor. Her job was boring, anyway; cataloging artifacts of non-Human origin and deciding their purpose. Weapons, cooking utensils and toys were what she saw all day. She knew that Ianto could handle it until she could return. Of course, if Lisa kept "helping" him in that isolated office, Rose had a huge job ahead of her when she got back. Rose started smiling at the thought of love so young that they thought that nothing could hurt them and felt a pain so sharp that the smile was stripped from her face. This wasn't the baby moving, this was something more.

"MUM!"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry about the delay. They are not mine, but I do love them…

"Will you help me, Jack?" The Doctor repeated.

"Doctor, what can I do that you can't?" Jack was really confused. The Doctor was a scientific genius, well beyond anything Jack had learned. Jack knew that he was no intellectual slouch himself but he really had no idea of what he could do for the Doctor.

"You have the Rift Manipulator. I need your help to modify it. Rose once told me that it is better with two. She was right. Will you help me, Jack?" There was fear and desperation in the Doctor's voice creeping into the Doctor's voice now. Jack heard it.

"I'll help with one condition; you tell me why you didn't tell me you two got married before this. I mean, we were stuck on the _Valiant_ together for an entire year."

"The Master. He could have forced me to help him cross the Void, he could have hurt her. I couldn't take that chance so I buried the facts and my feelings about her."

"Don't you want her to be happy, Doc?"

"Rassilon help me, no. I'm not a nice man, Jack. I want her to be miserable there. I want her to come home with me."

"And if she is happy, what then. Will you leave her alone? Let her live her life? Will you force her to leave to satisfy yourself?" Jack was really pushing the envelope, but he had to know. He knew how ruthless the Doctor could be to get what he wanted. Jack loved Rose like a sister and would risk never seeing her again if she were happy where she was.

"If I find her and she is happy I will leave, alone. If she wants to, I'll bring her home and we can be together again. As much as it would hurt, I will give her my ring and return…. Alone."

Jack saw the painful desperation in the Doctor's eyes as he pondered his own response for a minute. "OK, I'll help you. But you have to promise me that if you get to Rose and she is happy, you leave her alone to live her life where she wants to; here or there. Deal?"

Relief washed over the Doctor's tired features as he nodded his agreement. He embraced his immortal friend and whispered, "Thank you." with tears in his eyes.

Jack pulled away and held his friend at arms length, alarmed at how thin the Doctor felt to him. "Doctor, how long has it been since you slept or ate a good meal?"

The Doctor looked down at the white rubber toes of his trainers. Jack then knew what the Doctor wouldn't admit; it had been a long time since he had eaten or had any real sleep.

"OK," Jack said, "First food, then sleep, then we work."

"But, Jack…"

"No buts, Doctor. I'm not going to watch you drive yourself to regeneration. Rose wouldn't want that and neither do I. C'mon, I know of a good little place just outside the Centre."

The autumn air was crisp and invigorating as they walked to the pub. Their conversation was easy and showed their many years of friendship. At the pub, the food was good and plentiful. Conversation flowed effortlessly and naturally turned to Rose. It was clear to Jack that the Doctor truly loved his wife. In the five years that they had been separated the Doctor had hardly looked at another woman. His female companions were simply that; friends. There was 1913, but as the Doctor was hardly himself, he felt no guilt or sense of betrayal toward the one he really loved. They spoke of Rose Tyler-Sigma lovingly and Jack's warm laughter reverberated in the booth the pair sat in when the Doctor raised a salted and vinegary chip as if in a toast and said, "To Rose."

Jack raised his water glass and repeated. "To Rose."

Once they returned to the Hub, Jack insisted that the Doctor sleep in his bed, not the TARDIS. Jack did not want to take the chance that his aged friend would work without rest.

Twice during the night, Jack climbed down to his sleeping area when the nightmares struck the Doctor's restless sleep. In an effort to sooth his friend, he held the Gallifreyan while his friend muttered in his sleep. "Rose, Rose, no, don't go! I need you! I love you!" When the Doctor fell back to a deep sleep, Jack left him alone only to hear blood curdling screams shortly after. "Rose! No! Hold On!" Over and over again. Jack just held him close until a calm sleep overcame them both.

When the Doctor woke with Jack's form wrapped around him he was confused. He had slept there, but when did Jack join him? Did they…..? No, there would be residual effects and Jack was fully clothed. But why was Jack there, holding him?

"Mornin', Doc. You always have nightmares like that?"

Nightmares, that made sense. He must have cried out in the night. The Doctor nodded. "Used to be Gallifrey. Now it's Rose. Every time I sleep all I can see is her falling or letting go. I prefer not to sleep until I can't avoid it, Jack. The only time the nightmares didn't come was when she was with me."

Jack felt helpless. What could he do for his friend against such pain? "We'll get her back, Doctor. I promise, we'll get her back." Breeching the void safely may take years, but for the Doctor's sake and maybe Rose's as well, they needed to try.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Another chapter. I know it seems to end on a cliff, but will be resolved soon…. I promise. As I said before, I just like to play in this universe, I don't own anything in it.

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"MUM!" Rose cried as the second major contraction hit her. "MUM!"

Jackie appeared at her daughter's bedroom door, cooling tea cup in hand. "What's wrong, Rose?"

"The baby's coming. Mum, this is happening too fast." Rose said breathlessly as another contraction hit.

"Let's get you comfortable, and then we can have Pete call Dr. Harper. Honestly, Rose, I don't know why you like that man. He is rude and condescending….."

"Owen is the best doctor that Torchwood has. He won't let anything happen to the baby or me."

"I know, sweetheart. It's just that that whole place makes me nervous."

"I know. Everything will be OK."

"I hope so, Rose. Let's just get you downstairs."

Jackie led the very pregnant Rose Tyler-Sigma down the central staircase and into the family room. A few weeks ago, with Pete's insistence and Dr. Harper's guidance, the room had been turned into a mini medical suite. There were monitors and an incubator and all the equipment for an emergency cesarean section if the need arose. All the equipment was behind a large screen but ready for when and if the need arose. A comfortable bed had been set up there as well.

Jackie still had misgivings about her first and probably only grandchild being born at the house. Hospitals always seemed safer to her. But, this was no ordinary baby. He was a Human/Gallifreyan hybrid. The second to last of his kind, the only one in this universe.

Despite Dr. Owen Harper's bedside manor, or lack thereof, he didn't trust Torchwood fully, either. He knew that there were elements that would take this baby and treat him as an experiment, not a flesh and blood baby. Harper's ethics were stronger than that; he was a better man than that. He also knew who signed his pay packet and when Pete Tyler called on him for this personal job, he agreed readily. This was a chance for many things. The chance to do real medicine, the chance to help bring life and not just do necropsies, and the chance to impress his boss. Maybe he could even have the chance to impress Pete Tyler's apparently single daughter. OK, the baby might complicate things, but he could deal with that.

Jackie got Rose comfortable in the bed and called Pete. Pete called Owen and there was the doorbell less than an hour after Rose's labor had begun. Within minutes, Pete, Dr. Harper and two trusted nurses were in the family room. Mark and Eleana had both assisted in alien births and were trusted to keep their mouths shut. Pete led Jackie out of the room while Owen examined Rose and the nurses set up some basic monitoring equipment. Rose was grateful that it was all on telemetry. All the information was sent to centralized monitors so all she had to wear were small sensors stuck to various parts of her body; she was able to move around freely, visit the loo and even shower without wires dangling everywhere.

When Jackie and Pete came back in the family room, Rose was nowhere to be seen. Dr. Harper told them that she was in the loo and sat them down.

"This is going to be difficult for her. Rose is refusing all drugs for pain, insisting that they may hurt the baby. This is also her first baby and I take it that her lover was not Human, which is why I am here and not in the Torchwood infirmary or London Memorial. She'll need your support and reassurance that everything is alright. But you need to understand that if anything goes terribly wrong that can't be handled here, I will order her transferred to Torchwood." Jackie and Pete nodded their agreement as Rose came back in the room in her dressing gown, clutching her belly.

"I think my waters broke." She said through a contraction. "In the shower."

Mark guided her to the bed that was now behind the screen, helped her into a clean, new gown and covered her with a sheet. Owen excused himself to care for Rose. He and Mark reemerged from behind the screen and Owen told his assistant, "Make sure the blood and section equipment is in order, we can't afford any surprises."

Jackie looked scared. Owen tried to reassure her. "Mrs. Tyler, Pete, Rose and the baby are OK. Her labor is progressing faster than is common for a first baby. If all goes well, your grandchild will be here in a few hours. Why don't you come in and see her." The doctor pulled the screen from the bed and Rose was there, looking nervous, but otherwise OK. There was a glow about her and everything seemed peaceful.

"How are you, Love?" Jackie said as she got to her daughter's bedside.

"OK, Mum. The bloody contractions hurt, though. Where's Pete?" She said through gritted teeth as another hit.

"Hold my hand, squeeze as hard as you need to, Sweetheart. Are you sure that you don't want those drugs? Dr. Harper said they won't hurt the baby. Pete is making the tea." Pete didn't feel that he belonged there at that time and found "useful" things to do around the house.

"No drugs! The Doctor once told me that an aspirin would kill him; I don't know what else could, if anything. I can't, won't take that chance with his child, Mum." Jackie winced as Rose squeezed her hand. "Doctor, when can I push, I feel like pushing."

"Eleana, could you check Rose while I finish here?" Dr. Harper was heard to say. A few minutes and an intimate exam later Nurse Eleana told Dr. Harper that Rose was ready to deliver. "That's fast. Four hours of labor? Might be a record for a first."

Dr. Harper positioned himself at the base of Rose's bed. "Rose, when a contraction hits, feel free to push, OK? You and the baby are doing fine." The monitor indicated another powerful contraction. "OK, Rose. PUSH!"

Rose pushed with all her might through every contraction. She was tired and her lower body was wracked with pain like she had never felt before. She was tired and just wanted it all to stop, but she had to continue, for Him, for their son.


	5. Chapter 5

Myfanwy

A/N: Butorphanol is a pain medication that is used in labor to take the edge off of pain. Again: These lovely characters are not mine, nor are the universes I play in.

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Myfanwy flew overhead as the Doctor cleaned his hands for the last time of the day. "Jack, where does she go at night, anyway?"

"I'm not sure. We hear reports of missing sheep occasionally from the countryside. We quietly pay them off. Why?"

"Just curious. It's not often you see a pterodactyl anymore, is it?"

"No, guess not. What's the word on the manipulator?" Jack had been kept busy all day with weevil hunts. He knew that the Doctor was close to a breakthrough, but how close, he didn't know.

"I'm almost done. I just have to close the access panel and connect it to the TARDIS. I should be able to try in a few hours. Jack…"

"Save it."

"Jack, I just want to than….."

"Save it. Save it until she is back here with you, OK?"

The Doctor gave Jack his warmest smile. "OK. I'll let you know when I leave." With that the friends went back to work, the Doctor to finish his connections and Jack to his neglected paperwork. Jack stayed within earshot and when the time came to say goodbye, he was ready.

Their goodbye was silent, but still heartfelt. There was still the possibility that this would fail and the Doctor and the TARDIS would be lost forever. Both men refused to publicly acknowledge the fact and as the Doctor entered the TARDIS, Jack whispered, "Godspeed, Doctor. Bring her home."

The Rift Manipulator held a fixed point open on one side of the Void while the TARDIS was a mobile point. The calculations took months of solid work for the Doctor before he even called Jack. He was confident that it would work, but if he couldn't be reunited, final death would not be unwelcome. He didn't want to die; he just didn't see the point of living anymore without the wife he loved and missed so much. He finally let out a breath when the final switch was thrown and the TARDIS was hurled into the Void. The trip through was short and incredibly bumpy. At one point, the Doctor ended up falling backwards onto his backside. Suddenly, it was quiet. The TARDIS lights were still bright. Her background hum was still there.

He scrambled up to his feet and checked the monitors; the Time Vortex was configured differently so he didn't know when he was but the monitor showed zeppelins in the skies. He made it! The TARDIS was alive and OK! He made it!

The Doctor left his ship and, once orienting himself, set off for the Tyler mansion. He stopped only once to look at a paper at a newsagent's stand to check the date. For Rose it had been seven months since Bad Wolf Bay, almost ten since their separation. Ten solid months since the last time they made love. Something brushed his mind with a crushing fear. He couldn't place the who but he knew he had to get there. Dropping the paper he was holding, he broke into a run. He didn't stop until he reached the gate of the Tyler house.

There was a guard at the gate, and armed guards walking around the gardens inside. The Doctor told the guard, "I need to see Rose Tyler. It's important."

"No one goes in, sir. By orders of Mr. Tyler, himself."

"Please call him for me. I think that he will let me in. Please." His words were calmer than he felt.

"What is your name, sir?" There was something about this man in the pin-stripes that made him want to break the orders that Mr. Tyler had given him to let no one disturb the family for any reason.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor, who, sir?"

"Just the Doctor. Please call Pete." He felt another wave of fear, this one very close this time.

A few moments later, the guard motioned him inside and the Doctor ran to the door. Pete himself let him in and quickly ushered him to the family room where he felt the source of fear and saw one of the most gorgeous sights he had ever seen. His wife. She was sweaty and yelling in pain, but she was in labor with his child and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was right; she had been pregnant when she crossed, though neither of them knew it at the time. He went to her side and gently nudged Jackie out of the way and took his rightful place at Rose's side. "Oh, Rose. PUSH!!" To the physician, he said, "Do you have any butorphanol?"

Rose looked at him in alarm, shaking her head.

"It's alright, love, it won't hurt you or the baby. Just take the edge off."

As the drug entered her system and she relaxed she looked at him, not quite believing what she was seeing. "You're here. You are really here. OHHHHHH!!" as another contraction hit.

"Push, Rose, you're almost there!"

"I can't do this. Too tired, but you're here, you came."

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything, if I could. Just one more push, love, for our child."

"For our son. AHHHHHHHHHH!"

As their son was born, the fear the Doctor had sensed was replaced by confusion and cold as the little boy struggled to comprehend what was going on. He settled for crying instead as Mark and Eleana cleaned him off and placed him on his mother's chest. Through his tears, the Doctor stroked his son's head and kissed the infant's mother. "I love you, Rose, I love you."

"I love you, too, Doctor. OH!"

"Sorry, Rose. One more push and we're all done here." She had forgotten that they weren't alone. Dr. Harper, Mark, Eleana and her Mum and Dad were still in the room. As the medical team made sure everything was OK, the little family bonded. The baby's cold and confusion gave way to contentment as he rooted at his mother's breast and as he sensed his father's awe at the scene.

"Doctor, how? You said it was impossible."

"Later, Rose. Rest now, we'll talk later." He took the baby – their son - from her so she could rest. As his wife fell asleep from pure exhaustion, he scanned mother and son with the sonic screwdriver. Healthy, both of them. His family was healthy. He put a nappy on their son and swaddled him in a small warm blanket. He thought that it was amazing the things that you don't forget. Then he went to the other side of the room to introduce their son to his grandparents and he needed to face his in-laws.


	6. Chapter 6

Jackie Tyler was not a happy woman. "Here he is! All smiles and happiness, while Rose cried herself to sleep almost every night. What kind of a husband are you, abandoning your pregnant wife, only to swan in at the end, do you have any idea what you put her through!"

"Now, Jacks…." Pete tried to calm her down, but Dr. Harper chimed in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and whoever you are," Dr. Owen Harper started, giving the Doctor a suspicious glare. With the Doctor there, it looked like all chances with Rose Tyler were off. "Rose and the baby appear to do be doing fine. Call me if there are any complications; heavy bleeding, difficulty breathing, whatever. She will be very tired for a few days. Labour went very quickly, quicker than usual for a first baby, but it went smoothly. I'll be by to check them out again in a few days. Otherwise, congratulations!" With that, Dr. Harper and his team quietly left the Tyler mansion.

In the short time that it took Dr. Harper to go, Jackie's anger had cooled slightly. She gathered her grandson from his father's arms and held him tenderly and told him how wonderful his mother was.

The whole scene was overwhelming. He was here, with his family, the family he missed so much. His wife just gave birth to the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He needed to sit down.

He pulled a chair next to the hospital bed where his love was beginning to stir. "Hello." He said as he brushed a lock of hair away from Rose's face.

"Our son…"

"Is safe in his grandmother's arms."

"I missed you."

"I did, too." The Doctor leaned in to do one thing he longed to do for more than three years, kiss Rose. His mother-in-law had different ideas.

"This little boy needs his Mummy and I need to talk to his Daddy."

Jackie turned the baby over to his mother and led the Doctor into the kitchen. In a calm voice that frightened the Doctor more than the prospect of any slap, Jackie started talking. "What's the story, Doctor? You swan in after almost a year, your timing was perfect, I'll give you that, but she mourned you for ten months and now you're here. What are you planning? Do you still want her, or are you going to leave her behind again? She told me that you are married. Are you going to live up to those promises you made to each other, or are you going to leave her behind and shattered all over again? If you are, then I suggest that you slip away into that blue box of yours and leave now. We might be able to convince her that you were an illusion. What will it be, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked at Jackie, anger simmering just below the surface. Through an amazing feat of self-control he said calmly, "What I do now is entirely up to Rose. I want her to be happy, Jackie. I made a promise to a mutual friend that if I found her happy, I would leave her here and go back alone. If she wants to, I will bring her home with me.For once, what I want doesn't matter. It's Rose's decision. Now excuse me, Jackie, I need to see my wife and son."

He returned to Rose's bedside and he found Rose nursing their son. The love he felt threatened to rupture both of his hearts. The boy was content, at peace. Rose was tired, but happy.

"How? You said that it was impossible."

"It took three years to do the calculations and almost a year to manipulate the equipment I had and borrowed, but there was this feeling that I wasn't alone. I had to find out for sure." His voice was tender, loving. "Love, why did you lie to me? Deny the existence of our son?"

"I didn't. I didn't know. I realized that I was pregnant a week or so after Bad Wolf Bay." Rose was remembering the fear and pain in her heart that she felt the day the pregnancy test came back positive. How would she raise a child on her own? Would there be anything different that she needed to know? What would she tell him about his father? That he would love him if he knew? That they really had no choice in being separated? What? A single tear flowed down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Jackie…."

"…Was pregnant. She miscarried a month after Norway." The tears were flowing freely now, remembering the little lost niece of nephew that never had a chance to live. Rose was also afraid the Doctor would reject her and their son; after all, this was very domestic. Instead he sat on the edge of the bed and gently embraced them both, mother and son.

"Tell me, tell me what's making you cry, Rose. I know your hormones are all out of line, but is there something else?"

Silently, she nodded her head. "Is this real? Are you really here? Can we come with you? I'll make sure that the baby is no trouble. Please, I've missed you so much. I love you…." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Are you sure, Rose? Your mum is here, your family, your life."

"YOU are my family, YOU are my life. I told you that on Praxataurious V. I don't want to raise this little one on my own – we have to give him a name, by the way – we need you, Doctor. I need you."

As happy as he was to hear her words, he was afraid that things would change in a few days. The heady feelings of their reunion would give way to resentment that she felt forced to leave her family and friends at a vulnerable time. He loved her and decided to give her a few days to decide. The connection between the TARDIS and the rift manipulator in the Torchwood was stable and not damaging to either universe. They might even be able to return for visits. They could stay a few days or more. He planned on bringing her to the TARDIS infirmary to help her heal quickly after giving birth. His ship could heal her in hours rather than the months it took for healing normally. Again, that was up to her.

For now, Rose Tyler-Sigma was sleeping in his arms, cradling their son gently in her sleeping arms. There was no place he would rather be in any universe.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you all for the continuing support of this story.

This chapter crosses over with _Torchwood. _I'm not sure that I will write the Torchwood fic, but I had to balance the sweet with the bitter, and make Rose realize how fortunate she is (and Gwen does annoy me sometimes, even though I like her character.)

Ownership of these characters is not mine in any way, shape or form. No copyright or any other rights violation is intended. Thank you for letting me play in their universe.

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They named their son Jacksoneventularian Peter Tyler-Sigma of Lungborrow House; a name that in Gallifreyan meant "One who does not wait to do the proper thing". Within minutes, everyone called the little one Jack for short. The Doctor was there for every feeding, every nappy change, and every moment of his son's life. Jack was a good baby; he ate well, cried little and loved to be cuddled, much to his grandmother's delight.

Rose had taken the Doctor up on the offer to spend a few hours in the TARDIS' infirmary and quickly felt physically healed, but the TARDIS could only do so much and her hormones were still in flux. The Doctor held her when she cried and laughed with her when she laughed.

When Jack was one day old, they sat and talked of their future. The Doctor could not have imagined being any happier. She had agreed to come home with him. It had taken him a day to talk to her about it. His fear was that she would choose to remain behind with their son. Rose told him that she had never fit in here, had never been truly happy here. She would miss her Mum and Dad. She had grown to sincerely love Pete, but wanted to be with him, her Doctor. She wanted to raise their children together. His hearts happily fluttered at the thought of a TARDIS full of family. Children with blonde hair, brown hair, maybe a ginger-haired tyke; one with his former stormy blue eyes, one with blonde curls and a liking for scarves.

It was on this day that Pete got Rose's rings out from the safe and she put them back on. They were still a little snug, but Rose didn't feel comfortable without them anymore.

When Jack was two days old, the Doctor told Rose of their son's namesake. How he couldn't die and how he helped them reunite. Rose was surprised at first, and a little angry with the Doctor. She decided to get Jack's side before she said anything, though.

When Jack was three days old, the Doctor helped Rose pack up her few belongings and move them into her old room on the TARDIS. Rose thought that he didn't want to share a room at first, but he assured her that nothing would keep him from her side ever again. It was just that the TARDIS could take a while to sort out a bedroom with adjoining nursery and using her old room for storage would put less stress on the ship as she shuffled rooms and spaces around.

When Jack was four days old, the new rooms were finished and they officially moved into their new bedroom. It was a beautiful, large room decorated in "earth" tones – browns and bronzes. A large bed dominated the corner of the room and two wardrobes were along the walls. A door on one side of the room opened into a large bathroom and another on the other side of the room was a door leading to the nursery.

The nursery was decorated in an astronomy theme and Rose was fascinated by the swirling galaxies, spinning planets and distant novas. The Doctor gave her a gentle embrace from behind and explained that the view would change with their location.

Jack seemed to adjust quickly to the noise of the TARDIS. The soft background hum seemed to lull him to sleep faster than anything else yet. The Doctor knew they needed to leave soon or the little one would tune in to this universe and that would make his adjustment to his rightful universe very difficult.

When Jack was five days old, they said goodbye to their family and boarded the TARDIS. Earlier, Dr. Harper came by and checked out Rose and Jack. He declared them healthy and was initially surprised by Rose's fast healing rate, until he realized that Rose was married to an alien and he probably had something to do with her quick recovery.

The goodbye was tearful and full of promises to try to return for a visit on occasion. The Doctor did not voice that it might be very possible for visits to happen, but he didn't want to hurt his wife and mother-in-law if he couldn't make it happen.

They landed in the hub of Torchwood 3 about 10 minutes after the Doctor had left to go the parallel universe. Jack Harkness looked up from the work on his desk that he wasn't doing anyway and dared to hope. When he saw the Doctor walk out of the TARDIS with some kind of bundle, his heart sank a little. The expression brightened when he saw Rose follow the Doctor out of the timeship. She looked great! Her hips and chest were fuller than Harkness remembered, but she was here! Rose was home! He had so many questions to ask her, to ask them, but he settled for a tightly hugging Rose for now.

The bundle in the Doctor's arms started to wiggle and whimper. Rose took the bundle from the Doctor and asked for a quiet place for a few minutes. Harkness called over one of his team, an attractive Welsh woman named Gwen and she escorted the mother and child to an area that was quiet and somewhat private. Rose could see the swell of her abdomen and said, "When are you due?"

Gwen smiled sadly and replied, "In two months."

"What's wrong?"

"My husband was killed in a lorry accident last month. He …." Gwen burst into tears, "Jack said he'll be here for us, but I miss Rhys."

"I'm sorry." Rose cried with Gwen as she nursed her son, a light blanket providing them with some semblance of privacy. She remembered the recent pain of being without the Doctor and the joy of seeing him again. This child would never see his or her father. Rose held Gwen's hand and attempted to sooth Gwen's aching heart, knowing that it wouldn't help.

Soon, Jack finished nursing and Gwen led them back to the centre of the hub where Harkness and the Doctor waited. Rose handed the Doctor their son and said, "He needs a nappy change. Could you take care of that for me?"

The Doctor knew that Rose wanted to talk to Harkness, alone. He gently took his son and went into the TARDIS. Once Jack was in his cot, clean, dry and sleepy, the Doctor decided to disconnect the Rift manipulator from the TARDIS' controls. The Doctor knew that he was in for a rough night of answering Rose's questions, but he was ready to face them.


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: Thank you for reading this! As always; I don't own 'em, just wish I did!

As he worked to disconnect the Rift Manipulator from the TARDIS computers, the Doctor remembered the conversation that he had with Rose's parents right after Jack was born. He was expecting to hear that Rose had been happy and that to come here now was only going to disrupt all the progress she had made in the direction of being happy. He expected an argument, he expected a slap. What he did get was about 101 questions about how he would protect Jack and Rose and keep them happy. He promised Pete and Jackie that he would do whatever he could to make and keep his wife and son happy and healthy.

What it came down to was that the Doctor loved Rose and his son more than anyone or anything that he had loved before, including himself. If it were up to him, his family would always be happy and never be injured or ill. He knew that reality was that those things would happen; injury and illness was simply part of life. All he could do is be careful and love them with both his hearts.

This satisfied Jackie and Pete and they both gave the little family their blessing, but making sure the Doctor understood that Rose and Jack always had a home with them and that he could bring them back at any time. The Doctor assured them that he would try to return for visits, as the technology he used and adapted was able to keep things stable. Jackie then took her grandson and held him close. They were probably leaving soon and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with the baby.

He intended on speaking with Harkness about setting up a time to return to use the manipulator to visit Jackie and Pete. It was safe now and Jack and Rose needed Jackie and Pete in their lives.

As he disconnected the last circuits from the TARDIS, he smiled. He was domestic and he liked it. Rose's questions still loomed but he felt that he could make her understand.

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"Jack, the Gamestation, what happened?"

"I died. The Daleks got me. The next thing I know is that I am waking up in a nearly empty station, you and the Doctor are leaving and I am left behind."

"I'm sorry, Jack. He told me you had a task to rebuild and you were OK. I always felt that you were dead and he didn't want to tell me. I wish I had known, I would have made him go back for you. I would have….. I don't know, kicked his arse?"

Jack Harkness chuckled. "You could have, too. Still could, I guess. He loves you, you know. More than anything else that has ever been in his life."

"I know. Still, leaving you behind?"

"I am 'wrong'. A fixed point in time. Even now I still feel him going against every instinct that he has to be with me. To his credit, though, he tries and to a great degree, succeeds. I forgave him a long time ago. Rose, don't let this come between you."

"I won't, Jack, but he will have to answer to me for it."

"Just don't be too hard on him, OK?"

"I'll try, Jack, I'll try."

Rose hugged her immortal friend. He did feel different, but not "wrong". Rose couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was simply their separation, maybe she had some sense of Jack Harkness and his "wrongness". She didn't know, but the Doctor had to answer some questions for her.

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The Doctor was preparing a meal of salad and chips for them when Rose re-entered the TARDIS. Jack sat in his little carrier on the table watching his daddy with a focus that was rare in human children at his age. But, of course, he wasn't fully human and there were bound to be some differences. The Doctor looked up from the salad bowl when Rose walked in. He sensed the confusion coming from her and put the big bowl on the table along with smaller salad bowls and assorted cutlery. "Have a seat, love, dinner is almost ready."

Rose sat down and the Doctor placed a large plate of chips on the table for them both. "OK. You've talked to Jack Harkness. Do you want my side?"

"Only if you tell me the truth with no excuses." She said as she shoved a vinegar drenched chip into her mouth.

"I was dealing with regeneration sickness. For a short time after regeneration, before the coma, I was insane. If I hadn't been sick, I probably would have been able to fight off the instincts. I'd like to go back and change it. I'd like to change a lot of things, but I can't. I really have no excuses; I was wrong and acted badly."

"Oh, you think? I wish I could be mad at you, but Jack has forgiven you and I just can't stay mad at you, as much as I want to. You were wrong; I know it, you know it. Jack tells me that you are doing what you can to make up for it. I can live with that, but if you hurt him again, you will have to answer to me." There was no mistaking Rose's tone. She was serious and he did not want to face her wrath if he ever hurt Jack like that again.

They ate their dinner with active conversation. The Doctor told Rose of Martha, Donna and Astrid. How brilliant they were and how they helped him through the pain of losing her. He told her of the Master and how he hid her in his deepest thoughts and feelings. Rose really thought that she would be jealous of his other companions, it surprised her that she wasn't.

Rose told him of her job at Torchwood and how she was up for promotion, but felt that the position of full field agent should go to Mickey as he was already in the field. She told him of the Alien Artifacts department and the ways that he had helped her without even being there.

By the time that they were done, their son was ready for his next meal. Rose nursed him at the dining table as the Doctor cleaned up from their dinner. Never before had he seen such a beautiful sight. His wife nursing their son.

While Rose changed Jack and put the boy in his cot, the Doctor set up something special and romantic for his Rose. He lit the fireplace in the study and set out a picnic of various sweets and pastries for them. A bottle of sweet Gallifreyan wine was put into an ice bucket. He was going to propose to her again and wanted it to be perfect. He wanted her to know that he would marry her again and again and how happy he was that she decided to return with him.

In time, she joined him in the study. He could tell that she had showered. She was wearing a pale pink gown and robe set that was absolutely stunning. Before he could say anything, she spoke. "Jack is sleeping for the night. I found this on the bed. Thank you, it's beautiful."

"Not me, sweetheart, I haven't had time to shop for anything. Must have been the TARDIS. You look amazing."

Rose said a heartfelt thank you to the ship and settled down to have desert with her love. It took all she had not to laugh at the Doctor's proposal.

"Rose, my love, would you spend your eternity with me? I know that it is not fair to ask for forever, but will you live with me, be my wife in this ship for as long as you can? I promise to make you as happy as I can and love you and any children that we have until my forever, however long that is. If you say yes, I will be the happiest being this side of Raxacoricofalaptorius, forget that, the whole universe, the multiverse!"

Rose leaned forward and captured his lips in hers. It was the best way she had to quiet him and she had been dying to kiss him since their reunion. She laughed when he said, "Is that a yes, then?"

"Yes, you daft alien." As she spoke, she trailed her hand down his tie to rest on the button on his trousers. "Let's go celebrate."

"Rose, Jack is only 5 days old, are you healed enough for that?"

"The TARDIS healed most of the damage from giving birth, right?" He nodded in agreement. "We can stop if there are any problems, right?" Again, he nodded. "Then, I want to make love to my husband."


	9. Chapter 9

And so concludes my story….. for now. Please note that I own nothing, the BBC has that honour.

"There were those that tried to tell me that you were just a memory."

"Oh, Rose. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"I knew that you were more than a memory. I knew that someday we would find each other again. I knew that you would know your son. I knew that impossible really meant, 'Not for a really long time'. I never gave up hope, Doctor. I knew we'd be together again."

"Oh, Rose. I really thought that you were gone for good. I thought that we would never see each other again. The TARDIS knew better than I did. You know I don't deserve this." The Doctor said as he held his wife even closer. "I don't deserve being happy like this, Jack, you, friends like Jack Harkness."

"Why don't you deserve to be happy? You deserve it more than most."

"The things I have done, Rose. All the things I've done…"

"Saving people, saving planets. Those are reasons you deserve to be happy. I'm just happy that you are happy with me."

"So am I, Rose. So am I."

He reached out to touch her face and kissed her with a tenderness and a passion them soaring. They made love again and afterwards she fell asleep in his embrace, content and peaceful for the first time since saying goodbye those long months ago.

Their son woke him from his peaceful sleep. He looked at his wife, lost in her own peaceful sleep, eased himself from their entanglement and got up smiling. Pulling on his discarded trousers from the previous night, he shuffled into Jack's nursery, looked at him with awe and lifted him from his cot.

Softly, the Doctor spoke. "Jacksoneventularian Peter Tyler-Sigma, I promise to love you, to be the best dad I can, to take you to places that will amaze and frighten you, to teach you all I know and, above all, love your mother with both my hearts for the rest of my life.

After changing the young one's nappy, the Doctor brought Jack in to see his mother. Rose was stirring and became fully awake when she saw her family. Finally, mother and father, husband and wife, two lovers were at peace with the multiverse.


End file.
